Numbering-machine.



APPLICATION FILED HEPT.2,1908.

Patented June 7, 191 0.

L G1 L 5.1m Fl EH;

0. B SMITH.

NUMBERING MACHINE. Arrmouroli FILED 321%. 2, 1908. 961,035, Patented June 7, 1910.

2 sums-sum z.

GHAfi'LE BDWTZELL SEHTH, 0F BUNEDIH, KEV? ZEALANLD.

NUMBERING-BIAGHENE.

96.1,(135, Speeification of Letters L stent.

Application files September 2, 1963.- Serial No.

To all whom it 1g concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BO'W'LELL SMITH, subject of His Majesty the King of Great.- Britoin, residing at the city of Dune din, in the British Dominion of New Zea land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nuinloerin -Maehines, of which the tolloxving is a speo1 cation.

The present invention is an improvement in consecutive-nunihering typographic inuchines, and its principal object broadly started, c-oinprehenils the 'lrotluetion of an ex tremely simple and inexpensive moehine of that type constructe" in such .1- rnenne-r as to permit of its numbering not only forwardly us is customary, out also backwerelly, or in. other Words, from l upwardly; or from high nun'loer l'loivnworll occor ling circumstances loa "require. This type of inechine, as is generally umlerstoocl, includes sentiolly, an Operating phznger, 2 pawl sv 'ing, and a series oi numbering wheels mounted on a l'lXGll shaft and provided with drop ciphers. Ordinarily the plunger and. the swing are connected with the frame-oi" the machine, and cannot be removed without unlocking the form Such defect is avoided in this invention providing a. removable and reversible plunger and either a similarly arranged or n .louble-uetirg swing adapted for cohperuthgn therewith. 1

The invenlion ulso resides in the purticu' lur construction of the drop ciphers and ire ratcliets carried by certain of the nmnhering Wheels, and oi the shaft on whim the latter are inoumed z nnl in the provision of u rote.- teble spindle fitted in the oore oi the shaft and operated at predetermined intervals to control the action of the ciphers.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figures i. and 2 are transverse sectional views oi the improved nmohine, taken on the line of Fig. l and showing the two positions of the pawl swing. Fig. 3 an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 6, with the numbering Wheels and swing omitted. Fig. (5 is a plan view. Figs. 7 to ll are enlarged detail views of the numbering Wheels in their proper order, the shaft and spindle being shown in section in Figs. 7 to 10, and the shaft alone in Fig. 11. Fig. 1.2 is an elevation of the double-acting swing parts thereof being broken envoy. l igs. 13 and. iii ere respectively, a side elevation and a plan view of the shaft. is a transverse section taken on the line iii-15 of Fig. 1%) is an end view oi Figs. 13 and. 1 Figs. 17 and 18 ace respeetiv ly, a sisle eleetion and plan View of the spindle. Fig.

is an end view of Figs. 1L? and 1.8. F 2G, 21 are transv rse sections taken on the cor; on-Ilingl numbered lines of l7. P is a detail iew one trailing the 63. end. A y the plunger o l: ie machine 7 l swing. l? the shaft upon which the numbering wheels-ii, 2-, 3 4i and 5 are loosely mounted, and the rotatable spindle in the bore of the shaft, the above mentioned elements being those of which the machine essentially consists and in the construction and. urrengeniient 0t" 'Wllllt'ill the invention primarily resi les. r A is sim lar All the main to .gploy; s fitted in e compartment pro n the frame of the machine.

i Viiiefl for it pin. the ends A. and which roj ct on. opposite sities thereof, shown in "(3, anti it is lljltl. normelly in elevated position by means the usual spring S, suoh oeing limitecl by a pair of screws hauling mutilated head These heads plunger, but they may he turneti so as to bring their mutilated or out eivey gortions opposite the plunger, thereby permitting the removei and reversal the latter, and. its subsequent reinsertion in its compartment.

it carries in nuance-ring mo one position overheng the The compartment in question is arranged at the left-hiincl encl of the machine and is Sullioiently wide to permit the insertion of e filling block A? therein.

The swing B is of the. usual shape provided. as is spring puwls of graduated lengths. The end members G and G of the swing are each and is 'provide& at one side thereof-wish a lateral ear in which an elongated hole or porters tionis formed, eiui said members 6 and are also formed with bosses which rest in zi rcuet'e collars I) D, provided noon the frame. The upper ends of ineinlsers are slotted to permit them to stsetlclle the customary, with a series of .l lilshaft, while fixed shaft F and to be readily disengaged therefrom, reversed and rengaged, so as to bring either member adjacent the plunger and to connect the plunger pin therewith.

Y When forward numbering is desired, the pin end A isengaged in the perforation in the swing member C, as shown in Fig. l, and when backward numbering is necessary, both the swing and the plunger are reversed and the pin end A inserted inv the perforation in the member C, (see Fig. 2).

The horizontal shaft F is formed with a series of peripheralcollars l, 2-, 3, 4 and 5 (Figs/5, 6, 13 and 14), and with an eccentric. bore f in which the spindle F, is rotatably fitted, as shown in Figs. 6 to 10, there being narrow circumferential spaces or grooves it, is, k and 1h? between the adjacent collars. The bore f above referred to opens through the upper surfzices of the collars 2,

3 and 4, and the outer end portion of said the collar 5 Figs. 11 and 14;). The numbering wheels 1, 2, 3,4. and 5 are loosely mounted on the correspondingcollars, and eaohbf said wheels has rigidly secured to its'right hand face an annular ratchet H, the ratchets 2, 3 and t being formed on their inner peheight of the shoulders above ripheral edges with pins It, It and 71. whlch extend respectively intothe grooves is, it,

and A p The spindle F, as already stated, fits in the shaft bore f, and it comprises, essentially, a stem portion 7 and a head F, the latter fitting in the outer end portion of the bore, (see l i 6). The stem portion of the spindle is l ormed with a series of four transversely arranged peripheral shoulders 1 3 and 4f which. are of gradually decreasing circumferential length and are spaced apart from each other, there being pins 2', 'i and 2" set into the spaces between the adjacent shoulders so as to be engaged respectively by the pins it, it and It. The pins z' and are arranged in the same plane, (longitudinal of the spindle), as shown in Fig. 19, while the pin a" lies-iin a similar plane at right angles to the inst-mentioned plane. The mentioned is equal to the thickness of the collars on shaft 1 l p The numbering wheels 2, 3 and l are provided, respectively, with drop ciphers M,

M and M normally held in depressed posiby small springs tion out of the printing line,

liormcd with a N. These ciphers are each tail-piece m which projects beyond the inner peripheral edge of the corresponding wheel. (See Fig. 23). -Whccls l and 5 are of the ordinary construction. The head f of the spindle has formed upon its periphery at equidistant points a series of four depres sions f successively engaged by the free end of'a leaf spring G carried by a cap vGr mounted upon the right handend o the is notched, (see on the wheels tri -s.

spindle,

machine, as shown iii-li i s. 3, hand 5. The spring serves to yieldingdy hold'tthe spindle against rotation. When the swiiig B is reyersed for backward numbering, the cap G is likewise reversed, whereupon the spring assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. v

The operation of the drop ciphers and spindle may be stated as follows, it being understood that for forward numbering the wheels are set in the ordinary manner and are actuated by the movements of the pawl swing WhlCll, in turn, is operated by the plunger A. The spindle is inserted in the bore ofishaft F in the position shown in 17 and 18, that is to say, with the plain surface of its stern uppermost, so as to perdrop ciphers to project through the cut away portions of the collars 2, 3 and 4. YVhen the first movement is imparted to the second or 'tens wheel 2, its pin li'will contact with the pin i carried by the spindle, and willturn the latter in the same direction, against the tension of spring (.ir. This movement of the lution, .will bring the shoulder 52 into a position where it occupies the cut away portion of collar 2", the drop cipher M be ing raised during the movement of the wheel by the contact of its tail-piece with the edge of the above mentioned portion of said collar. The continued movement of this wheel will ha \u no cll'cct upon its cipher and the spindle, since the shaft bore f is eccentric, and hence the pin /1, will not again meet the pin 2', the latter pin being shifted out of the path of movement of the first )in. Wheulhc third or hundreds wheel 3 1sinitiully turned. the spindle will again be turned by the engagement of pin /1 with pin 2', and the cipher M will be raised into the printing line, A similar result is likewise elicclcd when the fourlh or thousands wheel 4 is first operated, will be apparent. Whore reverse or backward rotation of the wheels is required, it is only i'icccssary, after the pawl swing and iluuger have been reversed, as above described, to turn the spindlc one qual'tcr of a revolution backward, whereupon the ciphers will sink in due order. In some cases, separate spindles for backward and forward numbering may be found more convenient.

As regards the doubleacting swing shown in Fig. 12, it may be stated that no'reversal of this swing is necessary, since its end members are formed at both sides with pcrl'oruted lugs similar to the single lugs with which the members of the swing B are providrd, the requisite change in its direction which is in effect a quarter revoof movement being cll'ected by the reversal as shown. This swing supported in exactly the same manner as the single-acting swing. I

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a numbering machine, the combination, with a pawl swing and a series of numbering wheels actuated thereby; of a reversible plunger for operating the swing.

2. In a numbering machine, the combination, of a series of numbering wheels; a reversible pawl swing for actuating the same; and a plunger for operating said swing 3. In a numbering machine, the combination of a series of numbering wheels; a reversible pawl swing for actuating the same; and a reversible plunger for operating said swing.

4. In a numbering machine, the combination, with a series of numbering wheels; of a pawl swing for actuating said wheels provided with erforated end members; and a reversible p unger provided with means arranged for engagement in the perforation in the adjacent end member of said swing, for operating the latter.

Y 5. In a numbering machine, the combination, with a series of numbering wheels; of a-reversible pawl swing for actuating said wheels provided with perforated end members; and a reversible plunger provided with means arranged for-engagement in the perforation in the adjacent end member of said swing, for operating the latter.

6. In a numbering machine, the combination, with a boredshatt, and a series of numbering wheels mounted thereon; of a spindle fitted within the bore'ot' said shaft; and means carried by certain of said wheels for imparting a rotary movement to said spindle at predetermined intervals.

T. In a numbering machine, the combination, with a bored shaft, a series of numbering wheels mounted thereon, certain of said wheels having drop ciphers and means for normally retaining the ciphers in inoperative position; of mechanism for actuating the cipher-provided wheels, to move the ciphers into operative position; a spindle fitted in the bore of sa1d shaft; means. carried by said wheels for imparting a rotary mov ement to the spindle at predetermined inter vals; and means carried by said spindle'for preventing return movement of said ciphers into inoperative position.

8. In a numbering machine, the combina-' tion with an eccentrically bored shaft, and a series of numbering wheels mounted thereon; ot' a spindle fitted within the bore of said shaft; and means carried by certain of said wheels for imparting arotary moven'ient to said spindle at predetermined intervals. I

9. In a numbering machine, the combination of a bored shaftya numbering wheel rotatably mounted thereon and provided with a normally-depressed drop cipher; devices for rotating said wheel, to raise said lar and provided With'a normally-depressed I drop cipher; a spindle ,fitted in said bore and provided with a peripheral shoulder; means for rotating said wheel to raise said cipher; and means carried by said wheel and arranged to engage and rotate the spindle when said wheel is rotated, to bring saidshoulder into position to project into the opening in said. collar,- to prevent the return downward movement of said cipher.

11. In a numbering machine, the combination of a bored shaft; a numbering wheel rotatably mounted thereon and provided with a normally-depressed drop cipher; de-

vices for rotatingsaid wheel, to raise said cipher, said devices including a ratchet'carriedby said wheel; a spindle fitted in the bore of said shaftand provided-with a pin; and a pin provided upon said ratchet and arranged to engage the first-mentioned pin when said wheel is rotated, to rotate said spindle into position to prevent the return downward movement of said cipher.

12. In a numbering machine,-the combination of, a shaft formed with a peripheral collar, and with a bore havin a portion thereof opening through said co lar; a numbering wheel rotatably mounted on said collar, and provided with a normally-depressed drop cipher; a spindle fitted in said boreand provided with a pin and With 'a peripheral shoulder; devices for rotating said wheel to raise said cipher, said devices including a ratchet carried b Y said wheel; and a pin provided upon sai ratchet and arranged to engage the first-mentioned pin when said wheel 1s rotated, for rotating saidspindle, to bring said shoulder into position to prevent the return downward movement of said c ipher. I

In testimony whereof- I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

CHARLES 'B'oWTEL SMITH.

Witnesses HnN'roN MACAULAY DAvEY', R. MQJoNEs. 

